Means for absorbing power and determining the reaction on engines



L. F. R. FELL.

MEANS FOR ABSORBlNG POWER AND DETERMINING THE REACTION ON ENGINES.APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1918.

Patented Feb. 22-3 921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- Fig];

A i zouisfederial Pads-twi MEI? W Ilfomey L. F. R. FELL. I v MEANS FORABSORBING POWER AND DETERMINING THE REACTION ON ENGINES. APPLICATIONFILED IULY 31,19l8.

1,369,01 8. Patented Feb. 22,;192L.

HEETS-SHEET 2. FL 2.

L. F. R. FELL.

MEANS FOR ABSORBING POWERANU DETERMINING YHE REACTION 0N ENGWES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1918.

1 36,01 &3; Patented: Feb. 22, 1921.

Fig 5.

j UNITEDFV'STATE PATENT OFFICE.

LoUIsra DERIcK RUDSTONEELL, oErow'rHonrE; E'ILE ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR ABSORBING rowER Aivn DETERMINING THE REACTION 01v ENGiNES.

To all whom it max r concern:

Be it known that I,- LOUIS FREDERICK RUDsroN F ELL, a subject' of theKing of Great Britain, residing at Fowthorpe; Filey, England, in thecounty of Yorkshire, have invented new and useful. Improvements in andRelating. to Means forAbsorbin Power and Determining the Reaction onEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to absorbing power and determining thereaction on' engines more particularly when the engine is run atdifierent speeds and developing different horse powers. The object ofthis in vention is to determine the amount of reaction exerted on theengine bearers, especially aero engine bearers, with variations in en'-gine load. v I

The invention therefore consists in absorbing the power developed by anengine at various speeds by a controllablefflow'of air and measuring thereaction 'ofthe ab sorbed-power on said engine. g f

This invention contemplates a variable air brake for absorbing the powerdeveloped by the engine to be testedin combination with an enginesupport responsive to variations in torque reaction due to variations inload on the engine and means for measuring'that, reaction. a j 1 v Inorder that theinventio-nmay be readily understood and carried intoeffect same will now be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of anembodimentof the invention in which provision is made in the device for twoyalved'outletsfor air. Fig. 2 is a sideview with the test bench andengine bearer ad'acent thereto. a

Fig. 3 is an elevat on illustrating anar rangement involving a single,valved outlet for air. Fig.4 is an elevation and Fig. 5 aside viewillustrating a further arrangement in which air set in motion by theengine is utilized in coolin the engine.

According to ffiieembodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a casing awhich may be constructed of wood built up on a suitable framework andlined with sheet metal is provided having suitably disposed air outletsb b whereof the effective area is controlled by appropriate valves 0 0.The casing incloses a chamber d preferably of snail like form as shownby the dotted'lines from which the outlets b I; extend the said cham-Specifioationof Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 22, 1921, Applicationfiled July a1, 1918. "Serial No. 247,395. I:

mechanism under a single control or each valve may be controlledseparately. Preferablythe valves are connectedso as to be simultaneouslyopened or closed either manually, mechanically or otherwise. In thearrangement shown each valve 0 is of butterfly form and consists ofwings or flaps mounted on a shaft or spindlee to each of wh chv lattera' lever f is secured. Thesele vers f are each'connected by a rod g witha bellcrank leverh which carries an extension i provid'ed with anut ]cadapted to be operated by the screw spindle Z towhich the operatindwheelm or a suitable handle is applied. Mounted in the aforesaid chamberis a suitable fan-brake or adapted for being secured to the crank shaftof the engine to be tested so as to be driven thereby or, to be driventhrough. appropriate intermediate gearing as may be found convenientaccording to the jt ypeof engine under test. The said fan-brake} when.rotated inthe chamber of the casing causes air, which'is admittedthereto "in; any suitable manner such as by means of tlie aperture orapertures-fo therein" througlrwhich the crank render it ca able ofabsorbing the maximum power whic theengine' under testislikely todevelop at the lowestnu'mber'of revolu- 'tions per minute at which it isdesired to run.

In operation the improved method and apparatus are employed inconjunction with an ordinary balance bar torque reaction test benchindicatedat p the power absorbed by the fan-brake'being adjusted that isto say decreased or increased by either closing or opening more or lesstheaforesaid valves 00 the reaction of the power absorbedby thefan-brake being calculated from the balshaft'of the engine, passestoflow through and through the'aforesaid ance bar 9 of the torque benchin the usual manner by the standard formulae. Thus the air which isdrawn into the casing by the action of the fan is caused to flow fromthe said casing in a regulated'manner with the result that the powerdeveloped by the engine and absorbed by the fan-brake reacts upon theengine under test and this re action is calculable upon the balance barpertaining to the torque bench.

For use with the aforesaid apparatus a test bench whereof the enginebearers on the cradle are adapted for being moved relatively to the axisof the fan-brake has been found most convenient as such arrangementrenders the test bench capable of adaptation to any type of aero engine.

A construction in which a single controlled outlet for air is employedis illustrated. in Fig. 3. The various parts of the apparatus bearreference letters similar to the respective parts in Figs. 1 and ,2 andtherefore the operation will be clearly understood without detaileddescription thereof. This arrangement is serviceable in casesv where thetest bench is so arranged that the torque of the engine tends to effectthe rotation of the engine about the axis of the fan-brake and inconnection therewith it will be seen that the valve actuating wheel mand screw spindle Z operate directly upon a nut is carried by the armc'operatively connected with the lever h.

Thearrangement of valve actuating levers and rods may be duplicated oneset being disposed oneach side of the fan casing.

If an air cooled engine be under testa part of the air set motion by theoperation of the. engine may be diverted so as to serve in cooling thecylinder heads. An arrangement of the apparatus adapted foraccomplishing this object is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a being the casingZ) the outlet with controlling valve 0 and d the snail form of airchamber. A flue or conduit 7' is arranged. in communication with thechamber d and outlet 6 the said conduit being appropriately formed orcurved as seen in Fig. 5 so as'to directthe diverted air from the saidchamber cl on to the cylinder head of the engine (not shown.) which issupportedby the test bench p. i

For convenience of transport the appabe moved from ratus may be mountedupon a carriage s supported by running. wheels 15. Thus it may place toplace with ease as required.

The improved means. for testing is espe 'cially adapted for use withaero engines as the strains to which the crank shaft of the engine undertest is submitted are only those which will be borne by the said shaftduring the operative service of the engine, the stress ordinarilysustained by the shaft from revolving a rotor in an inelastic mediumsuch as water when a water brake is used being avoided.

What I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. The combination with a fan brake'and means for regulating thevolume of air passing therethrough; for absorbing the power developed byan engine, of an engine bench rotatable about the axis of the fan brakeand responsive. to variation in torque reaction, due to the powerabsorbed, and

means for measuring that reaction.

fan coupled thereto, a snail-like casing in operative relationship tosaid fan, a central air inlet opening in' said casing, peripheral airoutlets in said casing, valves for controlling the flow of'air throughsaid outlets to regulate the power absorbed by said fan, an enginesupport rotatable about the axis of said fan, means for securing theengine to said support and a balance bar mounted on said engine supportwhereby the torque reaction due to the power absorbed is measured. f v

3. The combination with a fan coupled to an engine under test,.o f acasing for said fan, means for regulating the volume of air passingthrough said casing for absorbing the power developed by the engine aconduit appropriately formed with a depending out-. let adaptedtoconductthe diverted air from said casing onto the cylinderhead of the enine, a 'movable support forthe engine responsive to variations in thetorque reaction due to absorbed power and means mounted on the enginesupport for measuring that reaction.

